Frost and Unyielding

As traces of the past are awakened, the redemptive form of the Divine Favor Scepter is released, and the sword form appears:

The Unyielding Blade!

An emotion immediately welled up in Zijin's eyes; this was the form her mother, Atiya, had used.

It was much wider than an ordinary longsword, with a thick spine and a blade so thin it was almost transparent. In the center of the blade, a golden pattern burned quietly.

The power of the fairy Jinxiu unfolded, enveloping Su Ming, Zijin, Leoni.

The cold light of the Mirror Domain faded, and illusory threads spread out from the Divine Favor Scepter, disappearing into the surrounding space, pulling back the light and shadow that had long since sunk into the depths of time.

Countless images overlapped, shifted, and then quickly corrected themselves.

Su Ming only felt a blur before his eyes.

When he and Zijin opened their eyes, they found themselves in a sunny, hilly area.

The mirror disappeared, and the wind blew through the grass, creating large, soft ripples.

Leoni also entered here; all three were faint shadows.

Zijin raised her hand. The Unyielding Blade was no longer in her hand, but hovered not far in front of her.

Countless lines radiate from it, resembling Spiderweb.

A woman's figure first materialized beside the Unyielding Blade, raising her hand to hang the sword at her waist. Then a cloak appeared, enveloping both the woman and the sword.

"Atiya!"

Zijin recognized her immediately, but only she could hear her voice.

Atiya was completely unaffected by Zijin's words; she simply looked to her side, and another figure in a cloak materialized.

It was Leoni from two years ago.

Just as the reflected "domain" initially showed, he was at the peak of his life, with an upright posture and a steady aura.

Atiya and Leoni began to talk.

Many dwarfs appeared in the surrounding area. Most of them were dressed in dark formal wear and top hats. The crowd was not quiet, but there was no commotion.

In the center of the venue, there was a small but exquisitely crafted coffin.

The outer shell was constructed from light-colored wood and brass components, inlaid with numerous tiny gears and blue crystals. Various items were piled in front of the coffin: flowers, everyday utensils, and several roughly made but meticulously crafted Doll.

This is a funeral scene.

The dwarfs stepped forward one after another, and someone gently struck a small bell, producing a clear sound.

Everything represents a wish to bid farewell to those who are about to embark on a long journey.

****

The real Leoni, however, was somewhat annoyed.

"I entered the fray a little too early; the actual fight will happen ten minutes later."

He reached out, attempting to manipulate the Trace Shadows on the Divine Favor Scepter to move time backward. The illusory threads trembled slightly with his movement, like a Spiderweb being disturbed.

Leoni quickly frowned.

"No, it's been too long; I can't achieve that level of precision."

Compared to a two-year span, a minute is just a tiny fraction. Given such a long distance, it's unreasonable to expect time to be anchored to an even more precise location.

"I'm afraid even deviating by this much is already beyond my usual standard." Leoni gave up on continuing. A phantom image of Jinxiu appeared, and she raised her hand to wipe non-existent sweat from her forehead.

"I've brought you into a dream."

"But let's be clear, this is just ordinary ' Light Sleep Spell ' and ' Light Dream Spell."

"I don't possess the Zhimeng -Zhimeng."

"That's enough," Leoni replied. "Using dreams to see these things is just to save time."

The scene still comes from his "Trace Shadows of All Things," but dreams can compress the observation time by a hundredfold.

"So even if there's a ten-minute misalignment, in reality we'll only be delayed by a few seconds?" Su Ming asked.

"Yes." Leoni nodded.

"Then let's watch it," Su Ming said.

****

Ahead of them, Atiya and Leoni walked side by side toward Bobofeizi's coffin.

They bowed in farewell, a gesture of human courtesy. Zijin watched Atiya quietly.

That face was very familiar, yet it carried a strange change.

Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for so long, or perhaps it was because she had never seen her mother from this perspective before, but the overlapping emotions made Zijin's eyes sting slightly.

"It's been so long..."

Jinxiu floated to Leoni's side.

"I'll just be a spectator with you guys from now on?"

"Yes."

Jinxiu breathed a sigh of relief and instantly switched to a gossip-eating mode.

"Rumor has it you're the man closest to Atiya," she said in a low voice. "Tell me a thing or two—"

This whispering was completely useless; Su Ming and Zijin immediately looked at Leoni.

Especially the Zijin, whose eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.

"Absolutely not!" Leoni quickly exclaimed, "That's a rumor, we're just partners!"

"Don't you have any feelings for my mother at all?" Zijin pressed.

"Your mother became famous much earlier than me, and I used to admire her greatly," Leoni sighed, "But after knowing her for so long, the mystique has faded."

Zijin scrutinized Leoni carefully, and only after determining that he didn't seem to be lying did she look away.

"[If there's anything wrong with your mother's generation, there's no need to dwell on it, right?]" Su Ming said.

[No, I just want to know more.] Zijin's mood dipped slightly.

Su Ming gently took Zijin's hand.

****

The illusion continued to play, with Atiya placing a bunch of variegated flowers in front of the coffin, and Leoni placing a hare that he had hunted himself.

"If my mother were still alive, I wonder what it would be like if I introduced you to her?" Zijin's eyes glistened with tears.

Su Ming and decided to steer the conversation slightly away from the main topic.

"Can I introduce you to my family?" This question really got Zijin thinking.

"I haven't thought about that yet," she replied seriously to Su Ming, "But if you decide to do it, I can agree."

However, Zijin quickly thought of something else.

"But what if you... also... try to dispel my enchantment or something?"

"Don't worry, that's not the case between us," Su Ming replied. "You don't need to worry about your image; anyway, you weren't charming at all from the start."

In response, Zijin stomped hard on Su Ming's foot.

****

As the farewell ceremony was drawing to a close, another human figure wearing a cloak entered the frame.

He made way for the dwarfs and came to Bobofeizi's coffin, forming a blessing mudra with his palms.

"Arcane magic is our soul, the star path our journey; on this long voyage, we will forever be bathed in divine light!"

A gentle, drizzling light fell from between his fingers, covering the surface of the coffin, as if draping a faint glow over the traveler.

"Very good, the Ashen Regret cultivator Cortes." Su Ming recognized him. This guy, arranged by Su Ming, was led by Ge Lie and Catherine, along with the Star Sand Guard and the Bone Machine Battalion, to fight on the battlefield of the Northern Continent Province.

Cortes ' farewell was swift and decisive; once finished, he turned to leave.

"So you still came to the funeral," Leoni said, stepping forward.

"We've been partners all along," Cortes replied. "How have you both been?"

Atiya didn't want to talk to him.

Her gaze toward Cortes was indifferent, carrying an undisguised aloofness.

But thinking of something, she still spoke up:

"Cortes, we recently discovered an organization called ' The Plundering Clock,' whose intentions are highly suspicious."

"You hold a high position in the Temple of Light, so why don't you use your resources to investigate?"

Cortes responded to her:

"The Temple of Light is an institution that acts on God's behalf, guiding believers to the Gospel."

His words were grand and righteous. "It's not for personal matters!"

"This is not a private matter," Leoni said.

Atiya patiently explained the clues she had discovered.

This includes unusual spatial fluctuations, the infiltration of marginal races, and secret rituals and serpentine markings that Taya has never seen before.

"The doctrines of this organization," Atiya said seriously, "Give me a very bad feeling."

Cortes shook his head.

"These things have nothing to do with our Temple of Light."

"How can it be nothing? Everyone is responsible for something like this!" Atiya raised her voice.

Around them, many dwarfs were drawn by their conversation and looked over in surprise.

Cortes raised his hand, and the barrier unfolded, blocking out their voices.

His tone finally lost some of its superficial politeness.

"Since you are favored by the Divine Favor, isn't it only natural for you to do these things?" He sneered.

Go for it, Hero who's the center of attention!

Even though she knew it was just an illusion, Zijin couldn't help but reach for the Bone Staff of the End.

He clearly wanted to beat someone up.

"Please keep your composure, tourists!" Jinxiu quickly interjected. "This 'Light Dream, Shallow Sleep' has little binding power; if your emotions fluctuate too much, you'll immediately exit!"

Su Ming also comforted him:

Don't be angry.

"Anyway, we've already killed him."

"But why did you leave him with a complete corpse?" Zijin said discontentedly. "I heard you even found a place to bury him?"

"... At least Ke'er site has collected and preserved the Gospel Material quite completely," Su Ming explained.

"We've saved on the coffin, but we still need to provide a grave."

**** Cortes left quickly.

Because in the illusion, Atiya looked like she really wanted to draw her sword and slash at him.

Because of Bobofeizi's funeral, she ultimately held back.

After a moment of silence, Atiya still felt so angry that she developed breast hyperplasia.

"We can't let this guy get away with it!"

Leoni thought for a moment, "Shall we go and teach Cortes a lesson in secret?"

Atiya shook her head. "Let's shift the blame."

She proposed a plan:

"We sabotaged both the Temple of Light and the Plundering Clock, framing each other and inciting them to fight like dogs."

Leoni exclaimed, "That's a great idea!"

Atiya suddenly looked up at the sky, her expression changing abruptly.

"That strange power is back," she said. "Is it fluctuations from what seems to be a spatial rift?" Leoni realized. "I'm afraid the Plundering Clock is stirring up some trouble again."

The two people at the time were unaware of the specifics, and immediately moved towards the location where the anomaly had occurred.

However, the location of the anomaly is not close; even for two Saint Rank, it would take several hours to get there.

Su Ming and the others subconsciously looked at Leoni.

"Didn't you say it was only a ten-minute deviation?"

The scene suddenly shifted abruptly after he finished speaking.

The coffin and the crowd were stretched into long shadows, disappearing at the horizon.

The next moment, everyone moved to a new scene.

Withered grass lay low, and bare earth and stones were exposed. In their illusion, Atiya and Leoni had already encountered Yexiya, who had just arrived.

"Trace Shadows only anchor to the time when an 'event' occurred," Leoni explained. "Time periods that don't leave a strong imprint are skipped."

****

Yexiya at that time was much more spirited than when Su Ming later met her. She was tall and slender, with hair that fluttered like frost. Her long, pointed ears were covered with fine white fur, and her eyes were ice blue. Her face had the features of a human woman and the wildness of an orc. With each breath, fine dust of frost emanated from her lips.

The ice-based power around Yexiya became almost tangible.

Atiya clearly sensed something was wrong, and his expression immediately turned serious.

"Something seems off about this orc's power."

"Lady Yexiya, it's them." A Quarter Hand beside Yexiya pointed at the two.

Yexiya's face was full of sarcasm.

"Atiya and Leoni, we've been looking for you, and you've delivered yourself to our doorstep first!"

She drew her two swords, and an extreme chill spread outwards.

Frost lines spread, the soil was compacted by the cold, and the water in the cracks of the rocks condensed into transparent ice crystals.

"Two foolish ants, my colleagues, thank you for your 'care'!"

Yexiya said, and lunged forward.

Atiya drew her Unyielding Blade. "[She's strong, you run first.]" she quickly told Leoni.

Leoni drew his bow to its fullest extent in response.

Atiya chuckled softly, and the two attacked simultaneously.

Leoni immediately unleashed a barrage of three arrows.

They shot at her eyes and throat, respectively, and sealed off Yexiya's left side.

The arrowhead was engraved with the inscription "Cracking Wind," and it made almost no sound after being released from the bow, leaving only three very faint gray lines in the cold mist.

Yexiya, who was rushing towards her, looked up.

The three arrows slowed down abruptly when they were about halfway through their trajectory.

Frost appeared on the arrow shaft, the fletching stiffened, and then it shattered into ice shards.

Atiya swung her sword to meet the attack.

"Chasing Light!"

The sword light skimmed the ground, like a streak of fire slashing to the right. Yexiya raised her rapier in her left hand, easily blocking Atiya's greatsword.

Despite the vast difference in weapon appearance, Atiya was still using both hands, yet Yexiya caught it steadily with one hand.

The two swords clashed, producing no sparks, only a freezing sound.

A chill traveled along the blade, and a thin layer of frost quickly covered Atiya's hands, making her knuckles stiff.

Yexiya's tone was sarcastic:

"Just the pinnacle of Legendary."

"It's really tough on you poor wretches from the Demon Realm."

"To have reached this level in this field."

The next moment, the domain expanded.

"Eternal Frost Deposition!"

The ice patterns beneath Yexiya's feet spread, and the surrounding wind froze.

As Atiya was swept away, she felt her blood slow down, her breathing become heavier, and even more terrifyingly, her fighting instincts were suppressed and became hazy. In Yexiya's domain, what was frozen was the "flow" itself.

Air, water, and even Magic Power and thought flow within it.

****

Leoni fired five more arrows in quick succession.

The arrowhead was engraved with domain-breaking runes, attempting to break through the boundaries of Yexiya's domain.

But as soon as the arrow was released, its speed decreased rapidly.

The domain-breaking runes on the arrow lit up one after another, but were ultimately extinguished mercilessly by the frost.

Yexiya scoffed:

Don't even dream about it.

"This is a power of Destiny Level that you can never hope to reach!"

The pressure on her hand suddenly increased, and she slashed at Atiya with another sword.

But Atiya showed no sign of backing down. She held her greatsword horizontally, blocking Yexiya's attack.

Bang!

Atiya's boots carved a crack in the ice, nearly causing him to kneel.

No way!

Atiya's heartbeat suddenly became heavier, and golden light enveloped her entire body.

"Unyielding" is activated.

This is not a domain; there are no overwhelming phenomena.

But it allowed Atiya to regain her footing, and her sluggish blood began to flow faster.

Atiya tightened his grip on the sword.

Flames shone from the spine of the sword, spreading down the arm to the shoulder.

The enemy is stronger than ever before.

The power of "Unyielding" has truly ignited for the first time!

The huge gap between the two sides has been narrowed somewhat.

A hint of surprise flashed in Yexiya's eyes.

Although it was only a trace, she could indeed sense that the swordsman in front of her possessed an aura of the Destiny Level.

Atiya drew his sword again.

"Chasing Light!"

This time, her radiance was much stronger.

A dark golden light ignited along the spine of the Unyielding Blade, and the blade slashed into Yexiya's face with an aura that seemed capable of cleaving everything in its path.

Yexiya continued to parry with her single sword, the frost-white rapier clashing with the Unyielding Blade.

Click!

The icy sound exploded, and a large portion of the gold on Atiya's arm crumbled away.

Yexiya was also forced back a small step. Atiya continued to move, turning her wrist and changing her steps, her sword sliding in along Yexiya's defense.

"Chasing Light, Chasing the Shadow!"

The sword grazed Yexiya's shoulder, severing a few strands of her long white hair, which drifted away in the cold wind.

"A pointless struggle."

Yexiya said coldly.

Her words were dismissive, but her actions became noticeably more serious.

Dozens of icicles formed simultaneously around Atiya, like an ice flower suddenly blooming.

Atiya spun around and unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, the light of her sword sweeping across the battlefield.

A dark golden trail flashed continuously within the ice flowers as she shattered seven ice shards in one go.

Yet three still managed to pierce through the gaps in the sword light.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Ice shards pierced Atiya's side and shoulder blade, blood gushing out and freezing into dark red ice. Atiya groaned, but instead of retreating, he continued to press forward.

The Unyielding Blade slashed down repeatedly, its speed increasing with each strike.

Leoni also joined in.

A volley of heavy arrows pierced the air from the side and rear, aimed directly at Yexiya's back. The inscriptions on the arrows lit up one after another, and layers of air vortexes compressed in front of the arrowheads.

Yexiya swung her sword diagonally with a backhand motion, the frost-white blade flashing and shattering all the heavy arrows.

However, due to a slight distraction, she missed Atiya's sword strike and had her frost armor torn open by the Unyielding Blade.

The sword pierced through, leaving a shallow bloodstain on Yexiya's chest.

Yexiya's eyes turned cold.

"You filthy ants!"

The next instant, her speed suddenly increased.

Atiya quickly sheathed her sword to defend herself.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Three consecutive sword thrusts were blocked by Atiya.

But the fourth sword strike missed, Atiya could only forcefully turn his body, allowing the blade to penetrate his left rib.

Extreme cold exploded within the wound, like an icy hand gripping her internal organs.

Atiya's body jolted.

Yexiya moved closer to her again, her icy blue eyes filled with murderous intent.

"You got the wrong idea just because you bumped into me?"

As she spoke, an even heavier sword strike came down.

Amidst the flying ice shards, Atiya was sent flying far away.